WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House on Tuesday brushed off bellicose rhetoric from China that the United States risked a confrontation with Beijing, saying Washington was not seeking a conflict and saw no change in U.S.-Chinese relations.
John Kirby, the White House national security spokesperson, responded to China’s foreign minister’s warning to Washington to change its “distorted” attitude or risk conflict.
“We seek a strategic competition with China. We do not seek conflict,” Kirby told reporters. “We aim to compete and we aim to win that competition with China but we absolutely want to keep it at that level.”
Kirby said the United States respected the “one-China policy” and did not want to see a change to the status quo pertaining to Taiwan, which China considers a breakaway province.
Kirby also urged China not to provide military assistance to Russia in support of its war with Ukraine. U.S. officials have previously expressed concerns that such aid might be forthcoming.
(Reporting by Doina Chiacu and Steve Holland)
